George Tucker (luger) explained
George Franklin Tucker (born December 15, 1947, in San Juan, Puerto Rico[1]) is a Puerto Rican physicist and former Olympic luger.[2]
He represented Puerto Rico in the luge event at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, and was the only Puerto Rican representative at the Games.[3] He was also the country's flagbearer.[4] Tucker was, at the time, a doctoral student at Wesleyan University in the United States. He was later described by Sports Illustrated as "overweight but quick-witted" and as "the press's favorite loser". He finished last in his event, and reportedly "got a lot more press in the States than Paul Hildgartner, the Italian who won the gold medal".[5] He described himself as "the luger who dripped blood", and Time reported that he "shed alarming amounts of skin bouncing off the wall".[6]
Tucker represented Puerto Rico again at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary,[7] but was, this time, one of nine Puerto Rican competitors.[8] Tucker competed in the luge with teammate Raúl Muñiz.[9] This time, he did not finish last.[10]
According to Puerto Rican bobsled coach Rich Kolko, Tucker in 1984 "set the standard for Caribbean nations competing" in Winter sports – such as the Jamaican bobsled team.[11]
Notes and References
- https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/tu/george-tucker-1.html "George Tucker"
- https://web.archive.org/web/20121025144249/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966821-1,00.html "The Jests of the Rest"
- https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/PUR/winter/1984/ "Puerto Rico at the 1984 Calgary Winter Games"
- https://web.archive.org/web/20121025144314/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,921573-2,00.html Time magazine
- https://archive.today/20121203015800/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066996/index.htm "Losers Of Renown"
- https://web.archive.org/web/20121025144249/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,966821-1,00.html "The Jests of the Rest"
- https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/tu/george-tucker-1.html "George Tucker"
- https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/PUR/winter/1988/ "Puerto Rico at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games"
- https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE6D6163CF93BA25752C0A96E948260 "Sports World Specials; Being There"
- News: Nigeria Has an Olympic-Level Bobsled Team, and Tonga Had a Luger . Victor Mather . 17 November 2017 . New York Times .
- https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DD1338F930A35751C0A964958260 "Olympics: Five days to Albertville; Sledding Controversy Leads to Compensation"
